Doped seed layers have been disclosed in the prior art, their presence directed to various objectives. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,422 to Ting et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,249,055 to Dubin; U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,012 to Edelstein et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,892 to Ding et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,675 to Paranjpe et al. But none of these inventions discloses a copper interconnect system where a copper via to underlying copper interconnect makes a substantially direct copper to copper connection without the presence of an intervening diffusion barrier. The presence of such a barrier tends to degrade the electromigration resistance of the system.
Two prior art patents disclose where direct or near direct copper-to-copper interfaces are formed at the base of a copper via to an underlying copper interconnect. U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,024 to Hussein forms a seed layer of varying thicknesses against a refractory metal diffusion barrier as are common in the industry, and then etches both refractory metal barrier and the dielectric cap material at the base of the via with the seed material acting as a mask. Such a process is inherently extremely difficult to control, the main problem residing in controlling the required wide variation in seed layer thicknesses.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,075 to Cabral, Jr. et al. discloses a process which purports a CVD method wherein the liner thickness is very thin or nonexistent at the base of the via and yet of sufficient thickness on the horizontal surfaces under the copper interconnect regions. Such a process is also inherently extremely difficult to control. Neither of these prior art references discloses use of a metal-based cap layer, alloy seed layers, or methods of improved interface bonding.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0106895 A1 to Chung discloses a method to provide direct copper-to-copper contact at the base of a copper dual-damascene via. But no seed layer is disclosed, and no methods for improving the adhesion at the various copper interfaces are disclosed. Upon application of high current density, any copper interface where weak bonding of the adjoined film or material is present, tends to degrade the electromigration and stress induced migration failure rates.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0190829 A1 to Brennan also proposes a method to provide direct copper-to-copper contact at the base of a copper dual-damascene via. But no capping or seed layers are disclosed, and no methods for improving the adhesion of the various interfaces are disclosed. The method requires use of high dielectric constant nitride-based etch stop and diffusion barriers. This tends to degrade RC delays in the copper interconnects. A more serious concern is that the patent discloses no diffusion barriers for the edges of the copper interconnects.